An ulterior motive
by Sauura
Summary: and so Sasuke thinks to himself, "her own advice must work on her...surely".


She is surprisingly good at her role. Not to mention, what little fuss Sakura had kicked up during their briefing when her job for the mission had been explained to her.

"You'll be the distraction," Kakashi had told her, "keep the target occupied with...well... _your charms_ ". Which was merely another way of saying; flirt with the target until Sasuke has completed his objective.

As said shinobi gives once last glance towards Sakura and her companion, he considers the fact that there are perhaps other ways to complete this mission. Ways in which Sakura's skills were not merely reduced to the team's eye candy. But she had not complained, so neither will he.

Besides, Sakura's effort into this task proves quite effective so far. The targets eye's do not wander from her, they are enchanted – and so they should be.

Tearing his gaze away from his pink-haired team mate, Sasuke heads off to begin his portion of the mission.

.

.

Her job so far had proceeded with far more ease than she had expected.

"Are you staying in this city for very long?" her target giggles.

Never before had she flirted with a woman, "not long, a couple of days maybe".

"Oh, _that's good_ _,_ " replies her target.

A waiter strolls through the grouping of people throughout the hall. He passes the two woman, Sakura places her empty champagne glass upon the waiter's tray, and thanks him. Her target swirls the remaining few drops in her glass, and continues to hold it.

Then, in what is to Sakura, a very obvious act of interest; her target briefly bites her bottom lip, tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, and takes the smallest of steps forward.

Never before had she flirted with a woman – but she had to admit, perhaps she had a knack for it.

"Mmm," her target purrs, "I really like cute girls like you".

– or maybe she just had the right look.

.

.

Sasuke finds Sakura later, after his reconnaissance is complete, still with her target. They've relocated to one of the sofas on the second level. Its a little quieter, but still within the area of the party. The way Sakura has successfully seduced her company is evident as there is no acknowledgement to his presence until he stands before them, and clears his throat.

"Yes, can I help you?" the target looks up, with a raised brow and an annoyed expression. She sits so close to Sakura, she is practically on her lap.

Sasuke briefly catches Sakura's gaze, she is trying not to laugh.

"I need to speak with... _Emiri_ , for a minute," Sasuke states blank.

"We're busy," their target snaps back.

"Its okay," Sakura quietly whispers to the woman beside her, "I'll be back in a moment".

.

.

"I bet," Sakura lightly taps her bottom lip, "I bet she's furious right now".

Sasuke rolls his eyes, "are you starting to feel sorry for her?"

Sakura shrugs, "I did lead her on..."

"It was your job to".

"Still, it _was_ rather cruel".

"Do you forget what a horrible person that woman is?"

Sakura stands up, and lightly pads her way over to stand beside Sasuke. He is packing his bag for the journey back to Konoha tomorrow morning. Sakura shakes her head, "maybe I forgot a little, it was fun flirting with her".

Sasuke scoffs, and steps around her form to head to the bathroom. "I'm going to wash up," Sasuke calls back, "then I'm going to bed".

Sakura nods, "I'll head back to my room then".

.

.

Their journey to Konoha initially proceeds in complete silence. Save for their footsteps, and shuffling, not a peep is heard from the two shinobi. Not until they can see the gates of their village up ahead.

Strangely enough, it is Sasuke that speaks first, "how did you learn to do that?"

Sakura looks up, startled somewhat from her thoughts. She was obviously not expecting him to talk, "how did I learn what?"

"How did you learn to flirt?"

Sakura's slight misstep is covered rather well, "um...what?"

"You were able to get that woman to – you know".

"Uhhh," Sakura shrugs, "I mean...I guess I was her type. I don't really know...I'm sure I wouldn't have done such a good job if it were a man I was seducing".

"Would you have approached it differently?"

"Maybe...I mean, I was only doing what I thought I would like to have done to me. She is a woman, so am I...maybe guys would also prefer my approach. I don't know. Honestly, I think I just got lucky and I ended up just being some cute and easy girl to her, that's all..."

She is rambling, just a little. And in light of this, Sakura blushes once she trails off. Sasuke, on the other hand, is not finished with the conversation just yet.

"What would you have liked done to you?"

Blinking, then looking up to him, Sakura replies, "sorry, what did you say?"

Sasuke exhales, "you said that you flirted with that woman the way you'd like to be flirted with".

"Well...I mean..."

"So, in what way is that?"

She never expected to have such a conversation with Sasuke. _Sasuke_ , of all people, "you're asking me what my flirting technique with her was?"

He nods, without a hint of embarrassment. Sakura sighs; he didn't even hesitate. "Well," she begins, "I don't know. I just spoke to her, and listened really intently. I did that think when you repeat back most of what she says and it seems like you're interested in her. And um..." she looks up to check if Sasuke is still listening. Surprisingly, he is.

"Well..." she continues, "I touched her on the arm a lot. Did the whole cliché biting my lip thing every now and then. I showed a lot of skin – maybe you didn't notice, but that dress I was wearing was ridiculously short. And...uh...oh! I laughed at all her jokes".

When she finishes, she is met with silence.

.

.

"They kissed right? Bastard – did they kiss? Sasuke tell me! Did Sakura-chan and that target lady–"

"Naruto," snarls the Uchiha, "shut up!"

And he does so; with a mischievous grin, and cheeky intentions. Naruto chuckles, "say, that's a pretty weird reaction to a simple question–"

"Don't you feel ashamed to speak of Sakura in such a way?"

Naruto's expression scrunches, "no, why?"

Sasuke turns to his former team mate, "you don't feel as if this is inappropriate".

Naruto snorts, "bet you're only saying that cause you got to see all the good stuff".

Sasuke exhales, and chooses not to reply.

.

.

He should have headed straight home from the mission. There was no need to see Naruto. He had hoped initially that the idiot would have been able to keep his mind of certain matters – only later does Sasuke realised that the blond had wanted nothing more than to speak of that which he'd rather forget.

How, and why, had he acted so ridiculously in front of Sakura?

 _Asking her for her flirting techniques?_ What had possessed him to do such a thing? She were noticeable uncomfortable, and so she should be.

He locks his front door behind him, and shuffles with a stifled yawn into the kitchen.

He decides a cold shower will do him some good tonight.

.

.

Generally speaking, when Naruto and Sasuke weren't on a mission, they could normally be found in one of the many training grounds in the village. They preferred the larger, more secluded spots – for obvious reasons.

That afternoon, Sakura finds them in the ground near the southern most area of the village. "Have you guys been here all day?" she asks as she finds both men sitting on the broken ground, surrounded by scorched trees.

Naruto grins, "not all day".

Sakura nods, and takes a step forward.

"Did you finish your shift?" Naruto beams, standing up and walking to the kunochi.

Sakura smiles, "its why I'm here, you asked me to come see you after work".

Naruto nods, "oh yea! Just a moment. I left my bag around here somewhere – give me a sec, Sakura-chan".

Sakura cracks a grin whilst Naruto scurries away out of sight. Sakura turns back to regard Sasuke, or at least, where Sasuke had been sitting just a moment ago.

"Hey," comes a voice beside her.

Sakura jumps, and turns to find Sasuke standing next to her. She'd not even heard the sounds of him moving.

"Hey," Sakura softly replies.

He drinks from his bottle, and stares ahead of himself instead of turning to her.

Sakura swallows, and looks down to her feet – _was Sasuke always shirtless?_

She had been sure when seeing the pair initially, Sasuke had been wearing a shirt. She is sure of it – had he just taken it off right now?

"Sakura–" he begins, but stops immediately the moment Naruto re-entered the area, waving around his bag and yelling out, "Sakura-chan, I found it".

A soft grumble escapes the Uchiha before he walks away.

.

.

In a weeks time, Sasuke is assigned another mission. It is expected to take him no more than three days. Regardless, protocol dictates, at the very least, a yearly medical check-up for all shinobi within the line of duty.

That week, Sasuke is due for his.

"I'll submit the report straight away, so you're all good to go," Sakura remarks, scribbling a final note upon her clipboard.

Sasuke remains seated upon the examination table, "I'm good to go?"

"Uh-huh," Sakura replies, "this was obviously for formality purposes anyway".

"For...formality purposes".

Sakura nods, "yea, but you already knew that".

"I," Sasuke pauses, "already knew that".

Sakura stops writing. She puts down her pen and turns to him, "yea...um..."

The awkward lull that follows stagnates any further conversation. Sasuke then clears his throat, and leaves the examination room without another word.

.

.

It is mid July when the strangest occurrence befalls Sakura. In what has now become a semi-usual routine, Sakura meets Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi for a meal. A small noodle hut within central Konoha is where they meet for today. She speaks primarily to Naruto of her current workload.

"Its not really a season most people get sick in, but there is a lot of patients recently".

Naruto is hardly sympathetic, "are you sure? Maybe you're just tired so it seems like a lot more".

"Tired?" Sakura raises a brow.

Naruto shrugs, "I don't know, you kinda got those bags under your eyes".

Sakura exhales, and drags her beverage closer to herself, "thanks Naruto," she mumbles sarcastically.

And at this, the strange occurrence proceeds – Sasuke laughs. Not genuinely, and not without everyone at the table turning to look at the Uchiha with expressions of confusion.

Sasuke shrugs, and looks away.

Naruto scratches the back of his head, "what the hell was that, bastard?"

.

.

He thinks to himself; _there is no possible way to incorporate 'lip biting' into a normal, every day situation_.

He could try – but he doubts he'd get anywhere.

 _Not that any of his other attempts have worked so far._

A soft raping upon his front door stirs Sasuke from his thoughts. He glances briefly towards the clock that hangs above the arch to the dining room. A second knock, and Sasuke gives no further thought into the fact. He walks to the entrance to answer the door.

Sakura stands nervously upon his doorstop.

 _Perhaps his attempts **have** worked..._

"Um, Sasuke-kun," she begins softly, "may I come in?"

Sasuke steps away from the door to allow Sakura entrance. She brushes her feet upon his welcome mat, and comes in with a soft, "thanks".

Sasuke leads her to the main area, and offers her a drink. Sakura shakes her head, "no, its fine. I just stopped by for a short visit".

Sasuke shrugs, and asks her what this is regarding. Awkwardly, Sakura shifts her weight from one foot to the other. He decides that perhaps it would be best if he spoke to break the silence, but she beats him to the mark within that moment.

Sakura looks up, "Sasuke-kun," she says, "can I ask you...why you've...mmmn".

She trails off, she is hesitant to continue speaking. Sasuke considers his next options, and in hindsight, goes with the worst one – he takes a step forward, and pats Sakura's arm. Then, he steps back.

He knows immediately the mistake of his choice of action.

Sakura continues to stare at him. Her eyes widening significantly, "what are you doing?"

"What am I doing?"

"Stop that," she half-whispers, "I can't...you've been acting a little strange lately, Sasuke-kun".

 _Acting strange?_ – this is not the outcome he had hoped for. "This was your advice," he retorts back with minimal bite.

Although, it is enough for Sakura to blink in surprise, "huh?–"

"This is what you told me would work," Sasuke continues, "but these tactics don't work on you".

Sakura stutters, pauses, then softly replies with another utterly confused, "huh?"

Sasuke exhales, and mumbles just loud enough for Sakura to catch "I wasn't going to pursue you with the idiot's advice of singing some stupid ballad at four in the morning, beneath your bedroom window..."

And even still with this admission, Sakura continues to hold onto her naivety. So, in a bid of desperation, Sasuke bites his bottom lip.

He stops immediately the moment Sakura bursts out laughing.

He grumbles with agitation, "unbelievable..."


End file.
